The House Appropriations Committee approved a commerce, justice and science (CJS) spending bill, allocating $24.838 billion for NASA for fiscal year 2026. This surpasses the administration's proposed $18.8 billion budget and closely mirrors the funding levels of the previous two fiscal years. The bill includes language expressing support for several NASA missions facing cancellation in the administration's proposal.
Specifically, the report accompanying the bill indicates continued support for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Juno mission at Jupiter, and the New Horizons mission. While the report doesn't specify funding amounts, this support signals to NASA that it should endeavor to maintain these missions within its science budget.
Further provisions in the bill include backing for proposals to establish low-cost Mars missions potentially undertaken through commercial partnerships, continued involvement in the Ultrasat astrophysics mission with Israel, support for specific aeronautics programs, and the Deep Space Food Challenge. Additionally, the bill recommends up to $10 million in funding for "transformational lightweight technologies and vehicles" across NASA's directorates.
Debate surrounding the bill included a rejected amendment by Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., proposing increased funding for agency inspectors general, including $9.3 million for NASA. Rep. Morelle highlighted the contrast between increased funding from a reconciliation bill and proposed cuts to the inspector general's budget, while also criticizing the allocation of $85 million for relocating the Space Shuttle Discovery, contrasting it with Smithsonian estimates of a far higher cost. "Consider the contrast at NASA,” he said. “While the agency is about to receive an additional $10 billion from the reconciliation bill, its inspector general faces a $7 million cut under the bill we’re considering here today.” "It is unprecedented for Congress to remove an object from the Smithsonian collection and send it somewhere else.”
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the CJS subcommittee, opposed the amendment, citing a lack of offsetting funds within the bill and the recent enactment of the reconciliation bill. “The ink has barely dried on this new legislation,” he said of the reconciliation bill, “and already my colleagues are seeking to amend and strike portions of it through the appropriations process. I can’t support that effort.” The amendment was ultimately rejected.